LEWISTON — Forget grabbing a copy of “The Hangover” or “Old School” at Blockbuster on Center Street, when members of the Niagara University men’s hockey team get together for movie night prior to each game, you’d be surprised to hear what DVD they reach for.
“Every week, these guys come in and ask me for a DVD of the other team’s power play,” said Niagara assistant Tim Madsen, who oversees the Purple Eagles’ penalty killing unit. “They want to watch it. Seriously.”
Whatever the Niagara penalty killers’ viewing habits, it’s working. Heading into tonight’s contest with Colgate (7 p.m., TW-13, 1440-AM) at Dwyer Arena, the hosts bring the nation’s top-ranked unit, as they’ve killed off 55 of the 61 man-advantage situations they’ve faced this season. They enter in the midst of a sterling stretch in which opponents have scored just three times in the last 48 chances.
Credit a solid defensive corps and good goaltending, but the tandem of Paul Zanette and Bryan Haczyk lead a group of forwards who’ve also done their share in keeping the net clean. Zanette is already the program’s career leader in short-handed goals and is the only player in the country with three this year, while Haczyk’s blazing speed makes him a threat every time a shot is blocked and the Purple Eagles head the other way.
Also, guys like Dan Baco, Scott Arnold, Jeff Hannan and Ryan Murphy have helped a unit that’s currently ahead of powerhouses like Boston College, Merrimack, Clarkson and Miami by percentage points.
Madsen, who played for Niagara, said the team hasn’t done much differently other than buy into a belief that penalty killing is vital.
“We’re so proud of the way the guys have embraced it,” Madsen said. “It doesn’t have much to do with a system, it’s guys taking pride in what they’re doing.”
The unit will face a big challenge tonight in a Colgate team that’s underachieved so far and is scrapping for momentum. The Raiders are winless in their last six games, and sit alone in the ECAC basement.
But the roster boasts plenty of talent, including a number of NHL draft picks.
“They play at such a high pace, they play hard all the time,” Niagara coach Dave Burkholder said. “They’re having some hard luck, but we’re always concerned with a team that’s got that kind of team speed. They’re looking for something to spark their season.”
For Niagara, which had won five straight before a 7-4 loss to Air Force on Saturday, Zanette has been the biggest story. The senior has had a true breakout season, and currently leads the nation with a dozen goals.
“It’s great to see. This is what you want for your seniors,” Burkholder said of Zanette’s emergence. “Paul’s on one of those streaks, everything he touches, it’s just been magical. It’s been fun to watch when he goes over the boards.”
But while he’ll be counted on heavily at the offensive end, Zanette will join his teammates in trying to keep the penalty-killing unit at the top of the nation’s leaderboard, a feat the program had never accomplished until this week.
And Madsen said the Purple Eagles are keeping track.
“If the kids say they’re not stat rats, they’re lying,” Madsen said. “They see Boston College, Boston University, Nebraska-Omaha and Michigan, then they see Niagara at the top and it gets them excited and gives them more incentive.”
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